Yes we did!!!

After two of the closest, most contested presidential victories in U.S. history, it's such an amazing relief to know that Barack Obama won this election resoundingly, convincingly, and indisputably. Polls have offered close and cautious predictions for weeks, but I'm not sure anyone expected so many states that we had long thought to be permanently dyed red to suddenly turn blue: Virginia, Nevada, Montana, Iowa, and North Carolina. It speaks to the change Americans have been so desperate for, as well as our need to see a decisive -- and not divisive -- victory.

I know there are many people out there who are as upset as I am elated. There are people who are sickened and angry at this victory, whether for reasons of partisanship or race or simple cynicism. There are those who heard in Obama's statements of promise and change, the threat of mutiny on what they consider core American values. His invocation and inclusion of the diverse populations of this country -- the "young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled" -- is interpreted by many as blasphemy against the country's European origins. There are those who interpret his promise to help the majority as proof of the end of capitalism. And yes, there are those who believe the Americans most in need of Obama's help are the least deserving of it.

Obama's victory has brought such hope -- hope that our finances won't be annihilated by greedy investors and corporate billionaires; hope that social injustices will be further eliminated; hope that stability and prosperity are not the sole province of those with six-figure incomes; and hope that we all have both voice and choice in our lives, lifestyles, and individual pursuits of happiness, even among those who consider those choices wrong.

Watching John McCain's concession speech, I was struck by two things: 1.) If only his whole campaign had echoed the same grace, diplomacy, and optimism as its final moments, the result may have been different for him. And 2.) For a political party that prides itself on representing the most dignified, educated, wealthy, influential, and honorable people in American, the behavior of those gathered in Arizona was disheartening. On several occasions, McCain -- the hot-headed maverick himself -- had to quiet the boos of the crowd. I know they were disappointed that their candidate was not elected, but to blatantly ignore his lead of grace and admirable acknowledgment, I fear is proof of how deep the divide still runs in this country.

But if Barack Obama was able to unite voters in New York and Virginia, California and Iowa, and Oregon and Ohio, I'm convinced he'll go a long way toward reversing the chasm created by the tone and policy of the last eight years. Hope is a powerful motivator, and right now, the American public, for the first time in nearly a decade, has it in spades.